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Proper Etiquette for Black Panther’s Opening Weekend

It’s finally February, so you know what that means—BLACK PANTHER!

I mean, yea its Black History Month too, but it’s not every year we get a masterpiece like Black Panther gracing the silver screen. We are now just 14 days away from greatness, how does it feel? Fucking fantastic!

As a black woman, I am beyond psyched that the beauty, power, strength, and bad-assery of the black culture will be showcased on the big screen. This is the first time that we are being portrayed in a position of power based on our own volition—without casting us as service workers, slaves, nannies, mammies, drug attics, and criminals. So for that reason alone, I know the black community will show up and show out to the premiere of black excellence.

Just showing up is half of it, but this requires a bit more swag. Here is the proper etiquette for going to see Black Panther on opening weekend.

Be On TimeI know we love to show up to things fashionably late, but this is not an opportune time to operate on C.P. time. We need to put on a uniformed front. Showing up 20 minutes into the film is totally unacceptable—especially since there are about an hour worth of trailers before. If you are not there early, standing in line with the rest of your black brothers and sisters with giddy excitement waiting to enter the theater, then stay home. I don’t need you shuffling through the aisles of the theater looking for seats, because once that movie starts, zero distractions will be tolerated.

You Must Be Dressed for the Second ComingOr at least like the last plane to Wakanda is leaving and your attire is your boarding pass. If you don’t own African garb, buy it, or wear some type of Black Panther paraphernalia. This is another part of being a uniformed front—we need to exude excellence and pride sitting in the theater. I know it sounds extreme, but who cares? It’s not everyday that something like this happens. Here are some acceptable looks:

Leave the Babies Home
Unless it’s a matinée showing. I get it, we all want to show our kids the positive depiction of blacks in film, but if I hear so much as a whimper from a small child, I will lose it.

In all honesty, the film is rated PG-13, so they shouldn’t be in there anyway. If your kid can’t sit through an entire movie without whining, getting up to pee, getting bored, or asking questions leave them home. Or wait until the hype has died down and take them. Wait, who am I kidding? The hype will never die down—WAKANDA FOREVER!!

Don’t Spoil It For Others
We are all excited to see it, which means we are all going to be excited to talk about it—it’s to be expected. But please, please, please do not spoil it for anybody else. Just because you saw it does not mean that the next person has. We all know how difficult it was to secure tickets during opening weekend—hell I have to wait until Saturday to see it because everything within 25 miles of me was sold out for Thursday-Friday. So if you see it, keep the spoilers to yourself. Even if you don’t think it will be a spoiler, shut it. We all want to experience that excitement you had the first time seeing it.

Last but certainly not least…

See It Multiple Times
This is not an option. Even if “comic book movies” aren’t your thing. Go watch it in theaters as many times as your funds allow. We need to make sure that this movie breaks every record humanly possible!

WAKANDA FOREVER!!

But no, I really need someone to create this country so we can pack up and leave.